​County Geological Sites should be included in County Development Plans and County Heritage Plans. Due regard should be given to sites of geological importance at all stages of planning, particularly in the development of quarries, wind farms and roads.  If in doubt about County Geological Sites, please read the information on our Geoheritage page. 

National Roads Authority Guidelines on Procedures for Assessment and Treatment of Geology, Hydrology and Hydrogeology for National Road Schemes.

Environmental Protection Agency "Guidelines on Information to be Contained in Environmental Impact Assessment Reports" 2022. 

Irish Wind Energy Association Best Practice Guidelines for the Irish Wind Energy Industry.

Guidelines prepared by Geological Survey Ireland and the Irish Concrete Federation for the extractive industry in Ireland.​

Guidelines for the preparation of the Soils, Geology and Hydrogeology chapters of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIAR). Formally known as Environmental Impact Statements (EIS).

The Environmental Protection Agency's "Good Practice Guidance for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Screening" provides specific stand-alone guidance to assist plan/programme makers and SEA practitioners. 

​Do you live on or close to a County Geological Site (CGS)?  

Are you planning on carrying out work on or close to a CGS?

Are you the owner of a CGS location?

​Are you interested in your local geoheritage?

The review of the Wind Energy Development Guidelines (2006) began with the issuing of initial draft proposals for public consultation in December 2013. The current draft Wind Energy Development Guidelines were published for public consultation in December 2019. The review of these guidelines is ongoing and is addressing a number of key aspects including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. Offshore wind farms are excluded from the provisions of the Planning & Development Act 2000.

Chapter 5 (Ground Conditions/Geology) of both the 2006 and the revised draft guidelines of 2019 indicates that the underlying geology is a critical factor in assessing proposed wind farm developments and that information on geology, landslides, geological Natural Heritage Area, or County Geoheritage Site, areas of significant mineral or aggregate potential, groundwater and any borrow-pits proposed must be submitted as part of a planning application.

The draft guidelines can be accessed here.